This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It will not be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/england/shropshire/8438864.stm
The article has changed 8 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 4 | Version 5 |
|---|---|
| 'Gas' explosion inquiry continues | 'Gas' explosion inquiry continues |
| (about 4 hours later) | |
| Police are investigating the cause of a blast which destroyed a building in Shrewsbury, injuring 12 people. | Police are investigating the cause of a blast which destroyed a building in Shrewsbury, injuring 12 people. |
| Detectives believe the Bridge Street explosion on Sunday was probably caused by a gas leak and said it was surprising that no-one was killed. | Detectives believe the Bridge Street explosion on Sunday was probably caused by a gas leak and said it was surprising that no-one was killed. |
| Two people were seriously hurt, including a woman who was airlifted to hospital with burns, and a man who suffered spinal injuries. | Two people were seriously hurt, including a woman who was airlifted to hospital with burns, and a man who suffered spinal injuries. |
| Five people trapped under rubble in a car had to be pulled to safety. | |
| If this had been prior to Christmas, when the shops and the streets and the pubs were a lot busier, then it could have been a significantly worse incident Fire service spokesman | If this had been prior to Christmas, when the shops and the streets and the pubs were a lot busier, then it could have been a significantly worse incident Fire service spokesman |
| The town centre building, thought to contain living accommodation and an empty shop, was destroyed. | The town centre building, thought to contain living accommodation and an empty shop, was destroyed. |
| Council officials have shut many of the roads in the town centre to pedestrians and traffic, including Bridge Street, Barker Street, Victoria Quay, Smithfield Road and Roushill. | Council officials have shut many of the roads in the town centre to pedestrians and traffic, including Bridge Street, Barker Street, Victoria Quay, Smithfield Road and Roushill. |
| Tim Sneddon, head of environmental maintenance for Shropshire Council, said a meeting would be taking place later to decide whether to reopen the roads but said some would need "quite a few tonnes of rubble shifted" before they could be reopened. | Tim Sneddon, head of environmental maintenance for Shropshire Council, said a meeting would be taking place later to decide whether to reopen the roads but said some would need "quite a few tonnes of rubble shifted" before they could be reopened. |
| The seriously injured man has been named as Kiley McDonnell, who played Jolly Jake in the Theatre Severn production of Peter Pan. | The seriously injured man has been named as Kiley McDonnell, who played Jolly Jake in the Theatre Severn production of Peter Pan. |
| The theatre's final performance had been scheduled for Sunday night, but was cancelled because of the explosion. | The theatre's final performance had been scheduled for Sunday night, but was cancelled because of the explosion. |
| Theatre manager Peter Nicholson said they had suffered only minor damage to some windows and no other performances had been affected by the explosion. | Theatre manager Peter Nicholson said they had suffered only minor damage to some windows and no other performances had been affected by the explosion. |
| Building shook | Building shook |
| A fire service spokesman confirmed there had been "quite a significant gas leak" but added that it was also possible this had been caused by the explosion. | |
| He said: "Luckily, I would say, it has been a very quiet period. If this had been prior to Christmas, when the shops and the streets and the pubs were a lot busier, then it could have been a significantly worse incident." | He said: "Luckily, I would say, it has been a very quiet period. If this had been prior to Christmas, when the shops and the streets and the pubs were a lot busier, then it could have been a significantly worse incident." |
| Pamela Salter, 62, whose flat overlooks the area, described how her building shook with the force of the explosion. | Pamela Salter, 62, whose flat overlooks the area, described how her building shook with the force of the explosion. |
| Several town centre roads were shut after the explosion | |
| She said: "I think everyone heard it. It was a huge noise and a huge vibration. | She said: "I think everyone heard it. It was a huge noise and a huge vibration. |
| "The building shook, all the window panes shook. | "The building shook, all the window panes shook. |
| "I think we all thought it was a bomb. We looked out of the window and saw a plume of rubble rising in the air. | "I think we all thought it was a bomb. We looked out of the window and saw a plume of rubble rising in the air. |
| "It was incredible. And that was before the smoke and fire." | "It was incredible. And that was before the smoke and fire." |
| Mr McDonnell was thought to have been trapped by rubble on the ground floor and, after being freed, was taken to the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital, where he is understood to have undergone surgery. | |
| The other seriously injured person was a woman with burns to her head, neck and chest. | The other seriously injured person was a woman with burns to her head, neck and chest. |
| She was found lying in the street outside the building and was airlifted to Selly Oak Hospital in Birmingham. | She was found lying in the street outside the building and was airlifted to Selly Oak Hospital in Birmingham. |
| Several people who lived close to the building could not get to their homes on Sunday so a room was set up for their use at the nearby Kings Head pub. | Several people who lived close to the building could not get to their homes on Sunday so a room was set up for their use at the nearby Kings Head pub. |
| The Bishop of Shrewsbury, the Right Reverend Mark Rylands, said he had been following developments "with great concern". | |
| He praised the emergency services for their work and said he was praying for all those injured in the blast. |